Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is the enlargement of male breast tissue. It’s a common, benign (not cancerous) condition that mainly affects teenage boys and older men, but it can affect men at any age. Normal developing pubertal males may be at risk for Gynecomastia that is part of the normal developmental process.
What causes Man Boobs ?
Physiological gynecomastia starts during puberty in boys when there’s a rise in the levels of the hormones. There’ll be times when there’s more oestrogen than testosterone in the body, which causes the ducts and lobules to grow and the breast(s) become larger and more noticeable.
Other factors that contribute to male breast enlargement are:
• Ageing
• Obesity
• Taking certain medications
• Alcohol
• Testicular disorders
• Genetic syndromes (eg- Klinefelter)
Most of the times there is no major hormonal imbalance. Just that the breast glands become more sensitive to normal levels of hormones and result in overgrowth of the male breasts and nipples.
When Does Gynecomastia Need Treatment?
Gynecomastia or enlarged male breasts become troublesome when:
• The size of the male breasts in comparison to the rest of the body is big and noticeable.
• It causes embarrassment while wearing trunks, or body fitting closed, or going shirtless.
• Male breasts have pointy and big nipples that show through the clothing.
• It can cause psychological trauma to the patient due to ridicule and bullying from peers.
Before surgery
Your plastic surgeon shall examine and discuss the procedure in detail and plan the incisions accordingly.
You may have to undergo routine blood tests including a few hormonal tests.
In a few cases, an Ultrasound of breast may be asked for.
Gynecomastia Treatment:
Gynecomastia treatment or male breast reduction can be done through surgery.
The treatment involves liposuction and mastectomy.
Liposuction:
This surgery removes breast fat, but not the breast gland tissue itself.
Mastectomy:
This type of surgery removes the breast gland tissue through small incisions.
Sometimes the chest may become flat with liposuction alone, in which case the surgeon may not proceed with mastectomy.
The surgery can be done in couple of hours, under general or local anesthesia and patient is generally discharged on the same day.
Post Surgery
Post surgery, you will be having small dressings and compression garments which need to be worn continuously for a week. Following which dressings are removed & compression garments are removed only during bath for the next 6- 8 weeks.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Will exercise and weight loss help me get rid of my man boobs?
True gynecomastia happens in men with normal weight also. So in such a case even if you exercise and lose some fat, the problem will persist and cosmetic surgery will be the only option for you. But if you are obese and your breasts are fatty, losing weight and building chest muscles will help you reduce your breast size to some extent. But the problem of prominent breasts may still persist.
Is Gynecomastia surgery safe?
Generally speaking, this surgery is safe. However, there are risks associated with male breast reduction surgery such as bleeding, infection, fluid accumulation in breasts(seroma), scarring, altered sensation and numbness of the nipples and any adverse reaction to anaesthesia.
How long does It take to recover after surgery?
Recovery is quite quick. You are expected to get back to your daily routine in a week’s time. You will be advised to wear compression garments for atleast 6 to 8 weeks.
Mild exercise/workouts can be initiated after 2 weeks. Heavy weight lifting and core body workouts can be started after full recovery i.e. usually in a month’s time.
Will my breasts grow back after surgery?
Surgery is a permanent solution for treating Gynecomastia. However, there are few fat cells which are retained which might grow proportionately in cases of weight gain, but never to the extent of breast glandular growth. That is why mastectomy (gland excision) is also done along with liposuction.
If the surgery involves only liposuction there are chances that the breast may grow back in size if you don’t control your diet and lifestyle.
Will there be visible scars after the surgery?
we make sure that the incisions are made in natural curves and around areolas so that the scars, if any, get camouflaged and are not visible without close inspection. Also, in men, chest hair acts as a natural camouflage in hiding scars. So you should not really be worried about post operative scars.
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